WORKER CO-OPERATIVES: AN ANTI-CAPITALIST BUSINESS STRUCTURE
Work sucks, jobs are bullshit. But it doesn't have to be this way. Worker co-ops are democratically-run, worker-owned businesses. There are no bosses…
To learn more about workers co-operatives, watch Novara Media’s break-down of how worker co-operatives resist individualism and competitiveness, or visit the Canadian Workers Co-op Federation (CWCF).
Illustration by Catherine de Montreuil, 2020
An anti-capitalist business may sound like an oxymoron, and we certainly acknowledge that capitalism structures the world around us. But we aim to subvert this exploitative system in order to serve the needs of our community.
Co-ops require the active participation of its members to make democratic decisions together, dismantling hierarchies and oppressive systems from within. Without bosses, CEOs, or managers, we prioritize a consensus model, letting our living VALUes guide our decision-making at every stage. When consensus cannot be reached, we maintain the co-op principal that 1 member = 1 vote.
By the nature of our organization’s structure, we are working to hold space, to speak out, to listen, and to relentlessly work to dismantle white supremacy, cis-hetero patriarchy, and all forms of oppression.
...worker co-operatives are a radical break from the conventional business model. The worker co-op’s primary goal in operating an enterprise is for service to its employees and its community rather than in service to the owners of capital.
— “What is a Worker Co-op?”, The Canadian Workers Co-op Federation (CWCF)
Are you part of a workers co-operative?
We would love to hear from you, and to connect on how we can support one another. E-mail us at info@valucoop.ca
Co-op Principle #6: Cooperation Among Cooperatives!